The Bears are finished with the preseason and now must cut the roster down to 53 players before the Tuesday deadline.

For many players, Monday or Tuesday will signal the end of their time with the Bears. However, 16 players will be signed to the team's practice squad. These players will be able to practice with the team throughout the week but will not dress on gameday. While the team will likely sign a few guys that get cut elsewhere, I want to identify the 16 players currently on the roster that I believe should make it to the practice squad. 

Player	Position
Trestan Ebner	Running back
Robert Burns	Fullback
Lachlan Pitts	Tight end
Robert Haskins	Tackle
Doug Kramer	Center
Logan Stenberg	Guard
Nsimba Webster	Wide receiver
Isaiah Ford	Wide receiver
D’Anthony Jones	Defensive end
Travis Bell	Defensive tackle
DeMarquis Gates	Linebacker
Barrington Wade	Linebacker
Kendall Williamson	Safety
Bralen Trahan	Safety
Macon Clark	Cornerback
Michael Ojemudia	Cornerback

There are my 16 picks. Now, I will give my reasoning for including each of these players.

1. Trestan Ebner- Ebner could have made the roster, but the final spot will likely go to Homer. Ebner missed time with injury and Homer contributes more on special teams. I still think Ebner would be nice to keep around as a back who can catch passes.

2. Robert Burns- Burns impressed this preseason, but most teams don't even keep one fullback, let alone two. Burns will be kept around on the practice squad in case Khari Blasingame goes down.

3. Lachlan Pitts– Pitts led his team in his receiving in college at William & Mary and has great size at 6'6". He's an interesting project to keep around and develop. Will need to block better to stick in the league. 

4. Robert Haskins– Haskins has the prototypical size for a tackle and is an interesting developmental tackle piece. He could eventually develop into a swing tackle. 

5. Doug Kramer- Kramer gives the Bears a quality depth option in case one of the starters goes down. Kramer was likely on track to make the team before missing time with injury. 

6. Logan Stenberg- Stenberg is an SEC guard whom the Bears spent a waiver claim on. Unfortunately for Stenberg, the interior of the Bears' o-line is pretty solid. Like Kramer, Stenberg is a good player to have around. 

7. Nsimba Webster-  Webster had a nice preseason, contributing as a receiver and on special teams. Ultimately, I had the team rolling with the upside of Velus Jones Jr. instead. Again, Webster is a guy who can contribute in the return game, so good to have around.

8. Isaiah Ford- Ford has a ton of speed, but doesn't offer much else. He just seemed redundant on the roster but is a good gadget player and will help in practice. 

9. D'Anthony Jones- Jones collected a few tackles and one tackle for loss this preseason but didn't stand out as much as some other guys. Jones is a fine developmental piece to have around. 

10. Travis Bell– Bell was a seventh-round pick this year so I doubt the team will give up on him completely. The Bears have Gervon Dexter, Zacch Pickens, Justin Jones, and Andrew Billings, making Bell redundant, at least for this season. 

11. DeMarquis Gates- I've always thought Gates had potential, he just hasn't been able to stay healthy. The edge rusher has been dominant in short stints in the USFL and AAF, so maybe there's something there.

12. Barrington Wade- Wade gives the Bears another practice squad linebacker. Wade is also a Chicagoland native, which is a cool story. His prototypical middle linebacker size and speed make him worth a spot.

13. Kendall Williamson- Williamson was also a late-round selection this season but failed to impress this preseason. Williamson was overshadowed by UDFA safety Bralen Trahan. Still, I don't think the Bears will give up completely just yet. 

14. Bralen Trahan- As mentioned above, Trahan jumped out more than Williamson this summer. As a UDFA, Trahan did more than expected, but this Bears' secondary is deep. 

15. Macon Clark- I like Clark's versatility. The team had him line up at safety and in the nickel, and he didn't look totally lost or anything. I think he'd be a nice practice squad stash. 

16. Michael Ojemudia- The final spot was between Kindle Vildor and Ojemudia. I went with Ojemudia because Vildor is probably more likely to get picked up by someone else. Ojemudia provides a veteran corner option for the practice squad.

Bears final 53-man roster projection for the 2023 season

One final projection for the Bears 53-man roster.

Featured image via © Jamie Sabau | 2023 Aug 12